Re: Re[2]: [logs] Due Diligence for Admission in Court

From: todd glassey (todd.glasseyat_private)
Date: Fri Dec 07 2001 - 11:33:54 PST

  • Next message: Alexander Gretencord: "Re: [logs] log analysis of netfilter entries?"

    ----- Original Message -----
    From: "Richard Welty" <rweltyat_private>
    To: <loganalysisat_private>
    Sent: Friday, December 07, 2001 8:48 AM
    Subject: Re[2]: [logs] Due Diligence for Admission in Court
    
    
    > On 07 Dec 2001 10:16:36 +0000 Dan Rowles <daniel.rowlesat_private>
    wrote:
    >
    > > Hmmm.... I can think of a few real world situations where you would want
    > > users to have access to a box, but would also want to ensure that the
    > > logs were reliable.
    > >
    > > But my real point I suppose is that authenticity is an important
    > > requirement for logs. If my log files say that my http server, dns
    > > server, mail server said "x", I want to know that message "x" really
    > > *did* come from the daemon in question, and not, for example, from a
    > > hacker / malicious user.
    > >
    > > How you would implement this, though......
    >
    > the problem is very hard, because there are numerous potential points
    where
    > security can be compromised.
    
    If one of the PFS based loggers is used this will greatly limit
    instantaneous damage from any intrusion.
    
    >
    > even if we can guarantee that the messages are from the box in question,
    > can we guarantee that the box itself hasn't been compromised?
    
    The real issue is in building systems that survive being compromised and
    keep on working.
    
    >
    > if i were trying to guard server logs, and were limited to the current
    > syslog as described in the informational RFC, i'd probably tunnel the
    > syslog text, either using ssh as described by another writer, or using an
    > IPSec applicance in front of a group of servers. i'd then configure things
    > on the receiving end of the syslog stream to only accept messages that
    come
    > from the tunnel.
    >
    > another option, which might take a little development, or which someone
    > might already have out there, is to replace syslogd on the server(s) you
    > wish to monitor with a modified version which could, say, log locally and
    > also forward the messages over something like stunnel to a suitably
    > configured syslogd on the receiving end.
    >
    > if i were modifying syslogd in this manner, i'd probably also take the
    > opportunity to install some code that computes running hashes (MD5 or
    SHA1)
    > and sends them someplace "safe" to provide a method of checking data
    > integrity at a later date.
    
    
    >
    > richard
    > --
    > Richard Welty                                          Averill Park
    Networking
    > rweltyat_private           Unix, Linux, IP Network Engineering,
    Security
    > rwelty@krusty-motorsports.com
    518-573-7592
    >
    >
    > ---------------------------------------------------------------------
    > To unsubscribe, e-mail: loganalysis-unsubscribeat_private
    > For additional commands, e-mail: loganalysis-helpat_private
    >
    
    
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
    To unsubscribe, e-mail: loganalysis-unsubscribeat_private
    For additional commands, e-mail: loganalysis-helpat_private
    



    This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Mon Dec 10 2001 - 11:55:35 PST